182 THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OP TIIE TRINITY. that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God bath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, Crying Abbe, Father. 2 Cor. v. 18. " All things are of God, that is, the Father, who bath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." Verse 5: " He that bath wrought us for the self-same thing, that is, fit- ted us for heaven, is God, who halb also given us the earnest of the Spirit." And in this sense the evangelical benediction or blessing is thus expressed, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, he with you all. Amen.'.' 2 Cor. xiii. 14. And in this sense it is, that we are 0° baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ;" Mat. xxviii. 19. For though I believe there may be a good consequential argument drawn from both these scrip- tures, to prove that the Son and the Spirithave real communion in the godhead, as well as the Father ; yet the first and direct design, is to chew, that each of these divine persons have a share, and concur in the work of our salvation ; and that faith, and hope, and all the blessings of grace and glory, depend on the eternal love of God the Father, exerting itself in a way of mercy to sinners, in and by the gracious mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the operations of the blessed Spirit. From all these, and manyother scriptures, it is evident, that in the economy of our salvation, God the Father appearsas vested with the supreme majesty and dignity, and maintaining the rights of godhead, as sustaining the supreme character of a divine Creator and Governor, offended by thesins of men, contri- vinga way ofreconciliation, sending his onlySon into the world for this end, anointing him with his own Spirit, accepting him in his sacrifice and mediation, crowning him with honours upon the discharge of his atoning work, communicating theSpirit to him, to be sent down plentifully to mankind, proposing the gospel of reconciliation to sinful men, and ordaining and appointing all things which are done by the Son and Spirit, as distinct personal agents in this glorious affair ; though in the godhead they are one with him. Question. " What are those honours which the holy scrip- ture therefore directs us to pay to God the Father ?" Answer. The honours which are led more directly and spe- cially to address to God theFather, are these : I. To adore him as the God andFather of our Lord Jesus Christ : 1 Pet. i. 3. Eph. iii. 14. its the first in order in the sacred Trinity. Toworship him as sitting on the throne of government; Rev. iv. 9', 10. as maintaining the dignity and the rights of god= head, as creating all things ; Rev. iv. 11. and giving laws and orders toall the creation : Tohumble and abase ourselves before him, as having broken his laws : To express repentance towards
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